Not only did the Knicks continue their losing ways on Friday night, dropping their sixth game over their last seven, but Julius Randle continued to look visibly frustrated, and at times disinterested during his 36 minutes of playing time.
Knicks Twitter continued its shift towards disdain when it comes to its former fan favorite, pointing out multiple instances where Randle looked to put in little effort during Friday's loss to the Bucks.
One of the more talked-about incidents came midway through the fourth quarter, when Randle battled Khris Middleton for a rebound and deflected the ball towards the baseline, where Obi Toppin fell out of bounds while trying to save the loose ball, but it fell out of play. Randle gave a quick look at Toppin, seated on the ground, before bowing his head and turning away while RJ Barrett and Kemba Walker hurried over to help up their downed teammate.
Four minutes later, with New York down nine with 2:40 to play, Randle lost his man in Pat Connaughton while a 3-point attempt from Middleton fell short. Randle stuck his arm out, not bothering to leave his feet, while Connaughton, standing just behind him, easily grabbed the offensive rebound to extend Milwaukee's possession.
Of course, anything Randle does on the court nowadays will be put under a microscope given his recent play. The former All-Star is shooting 37.6 percent from the floor and 23.5 percent from beyond the arc over his last 11 games, averaging just 14.6 points per game in that span. Last year's leader and the face of New York's memorable run to the playoffs, Randle has not led the Knicks in scoring since Christmas Day, and has since given the MSG crowd a thumbs down after they booed his and the team's effort against the Celtics, was consistently made unavailable to the media, and just before Friday's game, insisted he was still committed to turning the season around and bringing a championship to New York.
But on Friday, there were still times where Randle looked defeated on the floor, and at times, even on the bench, as video from the stands shows Randle seated at the end of the bench while the rest of the team is huddled together during a timeout.
Of course, more context could be beneficial in determining the reasoning behind some of these moments from Friday night's loss, but it appears Randle is only drawing more anger from Knicks fans during a season that is slipping away.
Follow Ryan Chichester on Twitter: @ryanchichester1
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